Photographic Memories
by Regalredstar
Summary: Sometimes, when Eliot thinks he's alone, he pulls out a well worn photo and stares at it longingly. Sophie lets him continue to think that none of the others know about it.
1. Part 1: The Photo

_Disclaimer: If I owned Close to Home or Leverage would I be writing fanfiction?_

_Summary: Sometimes, when Eliot thinks he's alone, he pulls out a well worn photo and stares at it longingly. Sophie lets him continue to think that none of the others know about it._

_Pairings: Eliot/Sophie friendship, Eliot(Jack)/Annabeth, hints of Nate/Sophie_

Photographic Memories

Part 1: The Photo

Eliot doesn't think anyone knows. He thinks that no one knows that when he's alone he pulls a picture out of… somewhere and stares at it longingly. Sophie lets him keep that illusion. If he wants to believe that no one his any clue about the picture. Well, that's his business.

Sophie's sure that the picture must have some sort of story behind it. The way Eliot stares at it… you don't stare at something like that if there's no story. Well… Parker might. But that's Parker.

She's not sure what that story is though. She assumes that it has something to do with his past. Eliot _always_ has the picture on him, and anything any of them keeps that close, has something to do with their pasts. Parker has her bunny. Nate has the picture Sam drew. She has her storage lockers. Sophie had once made a comment to Nate about how they were all addicted to their pasts. Eliot was no more exempt from that any of the rest of them.

Sophie knows something of Eliot's past. Most cons do. He's something of a legend in the world of thieves. He's been active longer than any retrieval specialist before or since, performing retrievals that no other specialist would ever even dream of doing. Even before they went white hat, Eliot made his career taking down dictators, and stealing back the unstealable. He's got millions of dollars in bounties on his head and is wanted in over a dozen countries. The jobs he's pulled… Legendary.

Because he is so well known, Sophie knows that Eliot first appeared on the seen in 1998 when he was only 23. He quickly proved himself to be a highly skilled retrieval specialist, though his status was nowhere near the level it would one day be. He continued in that same vein, until late 2003 when he abruptly disappeared. At the time most people assumed he had been killed. It wasn't like that was an uncommon fate for hitters. Then, out of the blue, in spring of '06 he reappeared, no indication of where he'd been for the past two and a half years. It was only after his return that he rose to the status of legend, taking on bigger, and riskier jobs than ever before. Sophie sure that whatever happened during those years he was missing that caused his abrupt about face, it has something to do with that picture.

_AN:I hope you enjoyed the first part of **Photographic Memories**. Originally this was going to be a oneshot, but then I started writing it and realized that it naturally divided in to three distinct parts; I decided then to publish it as such. Part 2 should be up later tonight, with Part 3 following sometime tomorrow._

_Until then, please leave a review and tell me what you think._

_See you soon,_

_Regal _


	2. Part 2: Accidental Admissions

_Disclaimer: If I owned Close to Home or Leverage would I be writing fanfiction?_

_Summary: Sometimes, when Eliot thinks he's alone, he pulls out a well worn photo and stares at it longingly. Sophie lets him continue to think that none of the others know about it._

_Pairings: Eliot/Sophie friendship, Eliot(Jack)/Annabeth, hints of Nate/Sophie_

Photographic Memories

Part 2: Accidental Admissions

Sophie learns the truth about the picture after a particularly painful job. They go after a seemingly normal case involving a corrupt insurance scheme only to discover that some of the principle victims are children who are being denied medical treatment. Needless to say Nate is not taking it well. Elements of the con opened back up far too many bad memories for him. Sophie just knows that every time he looked at the faces of one of those kids he saw Sam. She can't really blame him.

The problem is, that when Nate doesn't take things well he does two things. Drink. And Con. Both in excess. Well they just finished a job, which means they have no client, which in turn means they have no mark. So that means he can't con. That leaves only Alcohol. And a lot of it. Sophie admits he's been doing better lately. Since he's gotten out of prison, Nate's been more functioning then alcoholic. But tonight that goes out the window. There is no function. Just alcohol.

Eliot is trying to calm him down. This surprises absolutely no one. Ironically considering that he punches people for a living, Eliot has always been the most level headed of them. No matter what the circumstance he's always there to provide a stabilizing influence to the often volatile situations they find themselves in. Even Sophie will admit that Eliot is far better at talking Nate down from a bender than she is. When she tries, more often than not she and Nate just get in a fight. Eliot, on the other hand, brings him under control.

But tonight, Nate's having none of that. He's hurting, and he's angry, and he's having flashbacks left and right. He just wants to lash out.

So he just starts yelling at Eliot. Yelling and yelling and yelling. Yelling about how Eliot can't know how he's feeling. Who is Eliot to talk him out of this? He can't know what Nate's feeling. He's not a father!

None of them are prepared for what happens next.

At those words Eliot gives a howl of rage and throws Nate up against the wall. He's growling, an action which is not in itself strange, but this is more menacingly than any of them have ever seen before, "You think I don't know what it is to be a father? You think I don't know what it is to love a child more than you've ever imagined loving anything on this earth? You think I've never experienced that moment of perfect bliss that comes when the nurse comes in and hands over that tiny bundle and whispers 'Congratulations, Daddy'? You think I don't know what that feels like?"

He pauses to take a breath then whispers, "You're wrong. I know. I remember it all." His voice cracks at that statement, before he suddenly seems to realize that the others are all staring at him.

That realization sends him fleeing from the room, carefully avoiding looking any of them in the eye. The others stand silent in his wake.

"Day-um." Hardison gives voice to what they all are thinking.

"Should, should someone go after him?" Parker's voice betrays her uncertainty. Sophie can see that the young thief is having difficulty comprehending exactly what Eliot has just accidently revealed to them. All she really understands is that he's hurting; she just doesn't quite get why, or what to do with that information.

Sophie quickly makes up her mind about what to do. "I'll go after Eliot. You two take care of him." She nods toward the place Nate is still slumped against the wall. Then, she hurries from the room, heading to the place she thinks that their wayward hitter might be found.

_AN: So here's part 2, part 3 will be up soon. Please drop a review, and let me know what you think of the story so far._

_See you soon,_

_Regal_


	3. Part 3: Rooftop Conversations

_Disclaimer: If I owned Close to Home or Leverage would I be writing fanfiction?_

_Summary: Sometimes, when Eliot thinks he's alone, he pulls out a well worn photo and stares at it longingly. Sophie lets him continue to think that none of the others know about it._

_Pairings: Eliot/Sophie friendship, Eliot(Jack)/Annabeth, hints of Nate/Sophie_

Part 3:

Rooftop Conversations

Sophie finds Eliot up on the roof. He doesn't react as she gently pads across the concrete surface to sit down beside him. She's unsurprised to find that he is gently stroking the photographic. What she is surprised at though, is the fact that this time, he lets her see it.

Gingerly he hands it to her. There's something almost reverent about his actions as he slides it across her fingers. She looks down, and the sight makes her smile.

It is a picture of a much younger Eliot, with his arms wrapped around a woman with long blonde hair who is holding a small baby girl..

"Oh Eliot," Sophie breathes. "They're beautiful."

"Annabeth," he says as he gently touches the woman's face. "And Haley, " here he gently rubs his finger over the baby's face. "Their names are Annabeth and Haley. And they mean everything to me."

"How," Sophie starts, "How did you meet her?" She means Annabeth of course. She knows, just knows that the baby is Eliot's… Eliot's daughter. She's actually not sure what to think of that. It isn't a concept she head ever really expected to have to come to terms with.

"Saw Annabeth on a job once. Knew the moment I saw, she'd be the one I'd go straight for. Didn't believe in love at first sight until that moment."

He sighed and looked down at the picture, "And well, you know. I'm sure you know my story. Disappeared for two and a half years. She's the reason. I went straight. Made the identity I was using at the time real. I became Jack Chase, construction worker. Then I courted Annabeth, the beautiful… Assistant Prosecutor."

He mumbled the last part, but Sophie could still make it out. "Assistant Prosecutor?"

"Yes! Assistant prosecutor! I didn't know what she did when we first met, and by the time I did know, I was too much in love to care." He colored slightly at that admission. "Anyway, I married her, and before I knew it, we had Haley."

He smiled wistfully, "Gosh, she was perfect Sophie. The first time they handed her to me… My Baby Girl… I didn't know what to think… How could something that perfect come from something like me? All I really knew was that she was mine, and that I would do anything to keep her safe."

He choked back a haggard breath. "Shoulda knew it was too good to last…"

Silently he stared unblinkingly out at the sky for a few minutes, then, never taking his eyes off the horizon, whispered. "I only had one year with her. One year Sophie! One year, then I got word that an old enemy of mine was after me, closing in fast. I couldn't… I couldn't let Annabeth and Haley be in the line of fire… But I couldn't just abandon them either… So I called in favors from every hitter who owed me… They'll always be protected… Then I faked my death… As far as Annabeth knows I was killed in a hit and run five years ago…"

Sophie could swear she saw faint tears glistening in his eyes. "Haley doesn't remember me… And she never will… Never will…"

Sophie slipped an arm around his shoulder. "They're very beautiful Eliot."

"I miss 'em Sophie," He whispers. "I miss 'em so damn much. There ain't a single day that goes by where I don't miss 'em. Every single day, I wake up and fall asleep wanting the same thing. I want to go home, Sophie. I want to go home…"

_AN: So finals are finally over, and summer classes are starting to settle into a pattern. I guess it's time to finally start transcribing all of the stories I have recorded into actual documents. Expect a LOT of stories over the next few weeks._

_Concerning this story, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in reading more set in this universe. I have some ideas, but I want to know if people are interested before I move forward with them. Let me know in your reviews. _

_Thanks,_

_Regal _


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